Trussed-sheet building material.



1.0. MADISON.

TRUSSED SHEET BUILDING MATERIAL. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30. |9l6.

1,27%622. Patented sept. 3,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

, INVENTOR /3 M 1.0. MADISON. TRussED SHEET BUILDING MATERIAL.

I APPIIcATIoN FILED JUNE 3o, I9Is; 1,27'?,622. Patented sept. 3,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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JOHN 0.A MADISON, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TRUSSED-SHEET BUILDING MATERIAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

Application tiled J une 30, 1916. Serial No. 106,823.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN O.'MAD1soN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Trussed-Sheet BuildingMaterial, of which improvement the following'is a specification.

This invention relates to building material for walls, partitions,flooring, ceilings, roofs, and the like, and has for its object toprovide an improved truss sheet construction which shall be iire-proof,heatinsulating, sound proof, and of light weight, but at the same timeshall be strong and durable, and adapted to carry heavy loads.

My invention comprises, primarily, a pair of sheets, preferably steel,constituting the outer chord members of the trussed structure, andrigidly connected together at certain intervals by intermediate webmembers composed of integral projections or depressions formed on one orboth sheets and separated from each other laterally and longitudinally,preferably in a staggered relation, said projections or depressionsbeing of a depth many times the thickness of the sheet suflicient toproduce a strong truss effect, and formed integral with the sheet bymeans of a rolling, molding or pressing process, in which case thedepressions will be of such a depth as is consistent with the practicein the art of deep pressing, drawv ing, or metalrolling, as well as withthe economical distribution of the material for trussing purposes,whereby the sheets are spaced apart and rigidly secured together in atrussed relation, which forms a v ery light but strong and durableconstruction, capable of sustaining heavy loads. The trussed sheetstructure may also be covered, on one" or both sides, with a layer ofconcrete, cement or otherplastic, stiifening, insulating, or wearingmaterial, securely fastenedto said sheet or sheets.

` In the accompanying drawings: Figure l1 is a sectional View, showingone -form of trussed sheet metal construction embodying my improvement;Fig. 2, a similar view showing a modified construction; Fig. 3, asimilar sectional view showing `the plastic material applied to one sideof the trussed metal sheet; Fig. 4, a plan of the form of trussed metalsheet shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a sectional view showing one method ofanchoring or securing the layer of cement or plastic material to themetal sheet; Fig. 6, an inverted plan of same; Fig. 7, a sectional viewsimilar to Fig. 3, but showing layers of plastic material secured uponboth sides of the trussed metal sheets; and Fig. 8, a plan, similar toFig. 4, but showing a giffer'ent shape of depressions or truss memers.

According to the construction shown, my improvement comprises a pair ofmetal plates constituting outer chord members of the trussed structureand spaced apart in a substantially parallel relation by intermediateweb members rigidly connected with said plates. The web of the trussmembers are preferably formed of integral portions of one or both ofsaid plates or sheets `in the form of deep depressions, which may bepressed or rolled into the metal sheet at certain spaced intervals. Thisspacing interval of the depressions in the direction of stress,preferably has a certain relation to the thickness of the compressionchord member of the truss, being a certain number of times thisdimension in order to prevent undue buckling of the sheet. As shown inFig. 1, one of the metal sheets, 13, is provided with the integrallyconnected depressions, 15, while 'the other metal sheet, 14, is a plainsheet rigidly secured to the said depressions by riveting or by a spotWeld at the bottom or apeX of each depression, or in any otherconvenient way.

A preferred construction is shown in Fig. 2,. in which the two metalsheets, 13 and 13a, are of the same form and construction, both havingthe regularly spaced depressions, 15, which are placed back to back andrigidly secured together at the bottom or apices of said depressions. Inthis way the two plates are spaced apart a distance substantially equalto double the depth of the depressions and form a strong and durablesheet metal structure for use in building structures of various kinds,such as flooring, walls, partitions, roofs, etc.

When used as flooring, one or both sides of the sheet metal structuremay preferably be provided with a layer of plastic or insulatingmaterial, 16, such as cement or concrete and the same may be rigidlyanchored 0r secured to the metal sheets in any desired manner, as forinstance by metal clips, 17,

`welded into some of the cup shaped depressions, 15, as indicated inFigs. 3 and 7. A preferred means, however, for fastening "the layer orlayers of insultating plastic material to the metal sheets is shown inFigs. 5 and 6, wherein some of the depressions, 15, are pressed inwardat opposite sides to form openings, 18, through the metal sheet topermit the plastic material to force itself through to some extent whensoft, and then to securely anchor itself in position when the samehardens, as will be readily understood. Except for these small openingsfor the plastic material the sheet is preferably formed substantially'whole or imperforate in order to increase the strength and stiffness ofthe trussed structure.

For strengthening purposes, the metal sheets may be provided withstrengthening ribs, 19, -arranged either longitudinally, diagonally, orboth, as indicated in Fig. 4.

The depressions may also be made elon-V gated or otherwise varied inshape to vvsuit different conditions as shown in Fig 8.

g The space between the two metal sheets may be filled with mineralwool, felt, or other sound deadening or a heat insulating material, ormay be left clear, the air space itself constituting an excellent heatinsulating medium. This space may also be used for currents of air orother iuid for ventilation, heating, or refrigeration purposes, or thespace may be made tight by sealing at the edges and thereby serve toincrease the buoyancy when the material is used in the construction offloats, life boats, rafts, ships, aeroplanes, seaplanes, hydroplanes,submarines, etc.; as for example, when the construction is of aluminumor its alloys, the buoyancy is several times greater than Y, that ofwood construction.

An essential feature of my improvement comprises the construction .inwhich the sheet having the projections or-depressions forming the webmembers, itself constitutes a chord member of the trussed structure,

and where .the depressions are formed in both sheets, these constitutethe two opposite outer chord members, whereby a twosheet construction isproduced in which the material of the sheets is located as far aspossible from the middle Yor neutral axis, and consequently gives amaximum resistance to thel bending and shearing stresses, and the mosteconomical distribution of the material for a given weight and depth ofthe trussed structure. At the same time when sealed at the edges thisconstruction gives a greatly increased displacement and buoyancyj Thechord members may, of course, be increased in thickness with additionalsheets if desired.

While the preferred construction, as herein described, applies to ametal sheet structure, it will be evident that there may be certaininstances wherein sheets of strong non-metallic material may be used forproducing avery serviceable and durable trussed structure, and myinvention is not therefore limited to metal sheets only, but may alsocover sheets of certain non-metallic material that may be compressed ormolded into the desired shape.

I am aware that, prior to -my invention, panel structures have beenproposed, in which two outer plain metal sheets have been spaced apartand secured by an intermediate reinforcing sheet or sheets havingprojections or depressions formed thereon, but in no case, so far as Iam aware, do such prior structures disclose a Sheet provided with theabove described integral projections or depressions, and itselfconstituting an outer or chord member ofthe trussed structure. This isan important feature of my improvement, since by this means ascientifically constructed and highly efficient trussed structure may beproduced by using two sheets only, whereas in said prior constructionsit is necessary to employ three or more sheets.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A trussed sheet structure adapted to withstand heavy loads orstresses, comprising-a continuous rigid sheet constituting a chordmember of the truss, and formed with permanent yintegral depressions ofa depth many times the thickness of the sheet, suflicient, to produce astrong trussing effect, said depressions forming web members spacedapart laterallyv and longitudinally1 suitable distances to preventbuckling, and another sheet rigidly secured to the apices of saiddepressions and constituting an opposite chord member of the trussedstructure.

2. A trussed sheet structure, comprising a metalsheet constituting achord member of thetruss, and formed with/permanent integral depressionsof a depth many times the thickness of the sheet, sufficient to producea strong trussing effect, said depressions being suitably spaced'laterally and the truss, and formed with permanent elongated depressionsof a depth many times the thickness of the sheet sufficient to produce astrong trussing effect, said depressions forming web members spacedapart laterally and longitudinally distances suitable to preventbuckling, and another metal sheet rigidly secured to the apices of saiddepressions and constituting an opposite chord member of the trussedstructure.

4. A trussed sheet structure, comprising a metal sheet constituting achord member of the truss,.and formed with permanent integralprojections of a depth many times the thickness of the sheet, suicientto provide a strong trussing eiect, said depressions forming web membersspaced apart laterally and longitudinally distances suitable to preventbuckling, and another metal sheet having corresponding depressionsrigidly secured to the apices of the depressions of the first sheet.

5. A trussed two metal sheets constituting the opposite chord members ofthe truss, and each formed with permanent integral depressions of adepth many times the thickness of the sheet, sufficient to provide astrong trussing efect, said depressions being suitably spaced laterallyand longitudinally in a staggered relation and rigidly secured togetherat the inner ends or apices of said depressions to constitute the awebmembers of the truss.

6. A trussed sheet structure adapted to withstand heavy loads orstresses, comprising a sheet constituting a chord member of the truss,and formed with permanent integral depressions of a depth many times thethickness of the sheets, sufficient to produce a strong trussing eiect,said depressions forming web members spaced apart laterally andlongitudinally suitable distances to prevent buckling, another sheetrigidly. secured to the apices of said depressions and constituting anopposite "chord member of the trussed structure, a layer of plasticmasheet structure, comprising terial applied to said first sheet andfilling said depressions, and means for anchoring the plastic materialto said sheet.

7. A trussed sheet structure adapted to withstand heavy loads orstresses, comprising a sheet constituting a chord member of the truss,and formed with permanent integral depressions of a depth many times thethickness of the sheets, sufficient to produce a strong trussing ei'ect,said depressions forming web members spaced apart laterally andlongitudinally suitable distances to prevent buckling, another sheetrigidly secured to the apices ot said depressions and constitutinganopposite chord member of the trussed structure, and a layer of plasticmaterial applied to said first sheet and filling said depressions, someof the depressions being perforated to allow the plastic material toanchor itself to said sheet.

8. A trussed sheet structure, comprising a substantially whole orimperforate sheet -constituting a chord member of the truss,

and formed with permanent integral depressions of la depth many timesthe thickness of the sheet, suiicient to produce a strong trussingeffect, said depressions bei ing suitably spaced laterally andlongitudinally to prevent buckling and constituting web members, andanother sheet rigidly secured to the apices of said depressions andconstituting an opposite chord member of the truss.

JOHN o. MADISON.

